OPP launches internal investigation into matter

After a boy who was arrested in a string of multiple armed robberies in the Uptown area was found to be wearing an ankle monitoring bracelet that wasn’t working, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office said. The office is launching an internal investigation into the matter.

Sheriff Marlin Gusman said that according to a preliminary investigation, his office determined that OmniLink’s equipment stopped communicating with the monitoring office, causing the bracelet to send old data on its wearer.

“In accordance with our review of this situation, the sheriff’s office has initiated an internal investigation into the equipment, as well as the personnel monitoring this client. The sheriff’s office is working with the New Orleans Police Department in the investigation of (Tuesday) night’s incident, in an effort to determine the level of involvement of this juvenile in any crime,” Gusman said in a statement released on Thursday.

Council President Stacy Head is one of the many people who support the ankle bracelet program, which is funded by $800,000 in taxpayer money.

"It is a program that is great if you can keep people out of jail, who don’t need to be in pre-trial incarceration so they can keep their jobs, so they can go to school, so that they can keep up some normalcy in their life. That's a good thing," Head said.

Head, however, said the program's execution in Orleans Parish is in question.

"It's almost ludicrous that we're paying for a system, that we're not putting any parameters on people," Head said.

The 14-year-old boy was arrested on Tuesday.

The teen was originally arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana and ordered to wear the monitoring device by Juvenile Court on Sept. 26.

The teen was one of two boys that were arrested in a string of armed robberies on Tuesday.

Police said a 16-year-old boy and the 14-year-old are suspected of robbing a woman at gunpoint in the 1600 block of First Street, shooting a man twice in the chest and taking his vehicle in the 3400 block of Camp Street, and carjacking a woman in the 2200 block of Marengo Street.

A third suspect involved in the crimes is being sought by police. No description was given on the third suspect.

Head wants an answer in 30 days or she said the criminal justice committee will launch its own investigation.

"(We want) to see if there was really equipment failure or if it was user error. Second, we have to make sure it's monitored properly. Third, we've got to make sure it's used well by the judges and that there are consequences for people violating pre-trial release orders that put them on electronic monitoring," Head said.